United Nations/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, is chasing a robot, Moby, who is holding a letter. TIM: Hey! Hey! Gimme that! Tim snatches the letter from Moby. TIM: So now you're not going to talk to me? Moby stands defiantly with his arms crossed and pouts. TIM: Well, I guess I'll answer this one alone. Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, What is the United Nations? What does it do? From, Lorelei. TIM: The United Nations, or UN for short, is an organization that brings together the nations of the world to encourage peace, development, justice, human rights, and the well-being of all people. An animation shows the United Nations headquarters in New York City with the flags of different countries blowing in the wind in front of it. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, the UN was started right after World War Two. It replaced an organization called the League of Nations. An image shows a meeting of the League of Nations. TIM: The League of Nations had been established after World War One as part of the Treaty of Versailles. It was supposed to keep the peace and prevent future wars. An image shows members of the League talking to each other. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right, it didn't do the job, and World War Two happened. A map of Europe and Russia shows the countries comprising the Allied Powers and Axis Powers in World War Two. TIM: And then the League of Nations fell apart since it hadn't been effective. Text reads: League of Nations. Then the letters drop out one by one. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the League had good ideals, but it didn't have any military power to carry out the decisions it made. An image shows a tank with a cross out symbol over it. TIM: So, after World War Two, when the Allies had successfully defeated the Axis Powers, the charter, or set of rules, of the United Nations was drawn up. An image shows the charter. TIM: This time around, member nations had to agree that they would provide military forces to enforce the UN's peacekeeping decisions. An animation shows tanks and military aircraft. TIM: On June 26, 1945, representatives from 50 countries signed the new charter and founded the UN. An animation shows the signatures in the charter. TIM: Today there are 193 member countries of the United Nations. A world map shows these countries. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Countries don't automatically get to be members of the UN. They have to submit an application and be voted in by various administrative bodies. First, nine out of 15 members of the UN Security Council have to vote in favor of admitting the country. Images show the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. TIM: Then, it has to be voted in by the General Assembly. If a two-thirds majority agrees to admit the country, it becomes a member of the UN. An animation shows the United Nations headquarters with its flags blowing. A flag with Moby's face on it is raised and it flaps in the wind alongside the other flags. TIM: The General Assembly operates kind of like a worldwide congress. It convenes in sessions every year from September to December to figure out ways to keep world peace and support developing countries. An image shows a General Assembly meeting. TIM: The UN can help developing countries in a lot of ways, whether by building roads, conducting democratic elections, digging wells, or providing vaccines to children. Images illustrate the ways the UN helps developing countries that Tim describes. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Oh, they meet at their main headquarters in New York City. It's sort of like an embassy inside, though; even though it's on U.S. soil, the land occupied by the UN is international territory. An image shows the UN and surrounding buildings in New York City. TIM: There are other UN meeting places, too, like the Peace Palace in the Netherlands, where all major UN court decisions are made. An image shows the Peace Palace. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, the UN doesn't have a president; it has a Secretary-General. There have been many Secretaries-General over the years; they get elected for five-year terms. Images show the current Secretary-General and former Secretaries-General. TIM: The current one is Antonio Guterres from Portugal. An image shows only Antonio Guterres. TIM: The Secretary-General really runs the UN on a day-to-day basis. An image shows an appointment book. TIM: He gives the UN's official response to whatever's going on in the world that requires its attention. And when member nations disagree, he mediates disputes and makes sure the ideals of the United Nations are upheld, and that its decisions are carried through. An image shows the UN's lectern featuring the UN logo. MOBY: Beep? TIM: The United Nations can't force a country to comply with its decisions, but they do have major clout in the world, and can use various tactics to get countries to do what they say. It's kind of like when your parents tell you to rake the leaves in the yard; they can't make you, but it's really in your best interest to do it. Which reminds me, you feel like some yard work, Moby? Moby disappears. Tim looks around areas of the house. He goes upstairs and finds Moby hiding underneath Tim's bed. TIM: You are the biggest baby.Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts